My little sister turned seventeen last week. This is a crazy moment for me because I sometimes feel like I’m still seventeen. My sister has grown up so insanely fast. It’s as though I blinked and all of a sudden she’s almost a legal adult and she’s not the same little girl I used to pick up and twirl around. One thing I’m absolutely sure of is that I didn’t look or act the same way my sister does when I was her age. At seventeen, I still felt so young, and that’s the way I wanted it to be. In today's world, teenagers, especially girls, feel that they need to look and act older than they actually are.

We are living in a world where society tells us that it’s acceptable for fifteen year olds to look like they are twenty-five. When I was fifteen, I had a really bad haircut, bad skin, and braces. I still wore plaid bermuda shorts and polo shirts. I didn’t wear crop tops or push-up bras or a ton of makeup. I’ve always looked a little bit young for my age because I’m only five feet tall, but teens today often look older than me even if they are really 5 years younger than me. I’m not judging anyone, but I do think there is something so wrong about creating this idea that teenage girls have to look and act older than they actually are.

Being sexy is such a trend right now, but fifteen year old girls aren’t supposed to be sexy. At fifteen, you’re supposed to be having secret crushes, going to sleepovers, and attending the homecoming dance. Although Taylor Swift has changed a lot over the years, I think that her song “Fifteen" is very realistic. It’s so innocent and pure. It’s not sexy. It’s how your early teenage years are supposed to be, and that’s how I experienced those years.

I think that everyone, no matter their age, should enjoy being the age that they are. Whether you’re twelve, eighteen, or twenty-two, don’t try to act or look older than you have to. Enjoy being young.